Former mixed martial artist Medet Zheenaliev has passed away at the age of 30 after a heroic rescue attempt at Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. According to reports from The Sun, the incident occurred on May 12 while Zheenaliev was spending time with friends at the lake, located in the popular tourist village of Baktuu-Dolonotu.
Details of the Incident
Reports state that four girls had entered the water when one of them was caught in a strong current. Zheenaliev and a friend immediately entered the lake to help bring the girls back to safety. While all four girls were successfully rescued, Zheenaliev never resurfaced after going underwater during the rescue attempt.
Divers later recovered his body following a search operation at Lake Issyk-Kul, which is the seventh-deepest lake in the world, reaching depths of approximately 2,192 feet. The lake is also the second-largest saline lake globally after the Caspian Sea. The incident was classified as a drowning during a rescue mission.
MMA Career
Zheenaliev competed professionally in mixed martial arts between 2017 and 2019, compiling a 2-2 record across four bouts, primarily fighting in Russia. He made his professional debut on September 23, 2017, at Fightpro's Battle for the Belt event in Moscow, defeating Vladimir Kravchuk via first-round armbar submission just 2:08 into the fight. Six months later, he knocked out Shamil Temirkhanov at Battle on Volga 3.
His next appearance was at Road to M-1 on April 7, 2018, where he lost via second-round rear-naked choke submission against Akhmadkhan Bokov. After a hiatus of nearly 16 or 17 months, Zheenaliev returned for his final fight at GFC 16 against Makkasharip Zaynukov, with doctors stopping the bout after the opening round. He had been scheduled to fight Samray Shaykhamodov in September 2019, but that contest was cancelled for unspecified reasons.
Tributes
Tributes have emerged online following news of his death, with many focusing on his heroic final act. The sports community mourns the loss of a fighter who gave his life to save others.
